Winemaker's Notes:

What you have here is a pure, unapologetic expression of California Cabernet Sauvignon. Sourced from the hit list of premiere California wine regions - it's a Show stopper. Aromas of cassis, toasty oak, sweet fruit and chocolate continue into a chewy palate and long finish.

My Notes:

Additional wines from The Show:

About The Show:

In their stirring departure from the main stream, the Three Thieves and Nashville's Hatch Show Print have joined forces to express their creative flair to bring us the big, bold, Cabernet Sauvignon and its perfect complement: The Show Malbec. These show-stopping varietals are sure to grab your attention as they were inspired by the Hatch Show Print's dynamic and distinctive posters.

Winemaker's Notes:

Castle Rock Cabernet Sauvignon was produced from grapes grown on the beautiful south-facing vineyards in the prestigious Columbia Valley, which shares the same latitude as the Bordeaux region of France. To soften and add complexity, it has spent 18 months aging in French oak barrels.

This full-bodied wine offers layers of concentrated flavors of cassis, blackberry, black cherry, and ripe plum, with a hint of light oak. All these flavors unite to form a long, smooth, and harmonious finish.

About Castle Rock Winery:

Since its inception in 1994, Castle Rock Winery has built an enviable reputation for producing high quality wines at affordable prices for discerning wine lovers. This winning formula is highly successful, as proven by an increasing number of customers and members of the wine press, who have given the wines glowing reviews.

Castle Rock's wines are carefully made from grapes grown in the most prestigious areas of the West Coast states - California (Napa Valley, Sonoma County, Mendocino County, Monterey County, Alexander Valley), Oregon (Willamette Valley), and Washington (Columbia Valley). The company has always focused on making wines with specific appellations in order to allow the local qualities of the wine to be appreciated by connoisseurs.

The wines are made and bottled at wineries boasting state-of-the-art equipment, located in Napa Valley, Sonoma County, Oregon's Willamette Valley, and Washington’s Columbia Valley. Distribution throughout all states of the United States is through a comprehensive network of fine wine distributors.

Additional wines from The Hogue Cellars:

About The Hogue Cellars:

The Hogue Cellars, founded in 1982 by Mike and Gary Hogue, is located in Eastern Washington's Columbia Valley, the premier grape growing region of the state. The climate and soils of the Columbia Valley produce grapes with intense fruit flavors and high natural acidity. The wines have a liveliness and ripe, zesty fruit flavors that make them ideal complements to a wide range of foods.

Winemaker's Notes:

In the glass its almost-black purple color catches one's eye immediately. Out of the glass waft aromas of black pepper, stewed plums, and black olives. On the palate it surprises, unlike any other Malbec, with flavors of roasted meat, plums, and a slight spiciness that keeps it interesting. The oak is well integrated, lending a nice roundness to the wine. Pair it with roasted meat, especially venison or lamb, and let it work its magic.

My Notes:

About Bodega TuKma:

Cafayate, Salta, in Argentina's northern reaches, showcases landscapes as
mystical as they are majestic and carries the legacy of the Incan empire as much
as that of geological distinction. Every bottle of wine produced here holds some
of Incas’ ancient spirituality; every vine still feels their touch in the earth. In
homage of this area’s first inhabitants, who called their chief "Tukma" and their
land "Tukmanao," this new project, with vineyards situated among the
mountains and red desert on the border between Salta and Tucumán (just outside
of Cafayate) reflects their heritage in its name.

Master local winemaker and Torrontés specialist, Jose Luis Mounier, crafts
wines that could only be made by one who deeply understands this unique land.
The vineyards are completely unique: "Los Tolombones", situated in Tolombón
at 1,700 meters above sea level, and "Los Angastacos", in Angastaco at 1,990
meters above sea level, which total 15 hectares of vineyards under production.
Bodega Tukma also owns vineyard land in Colalao del Valle, Tucumán province,
and in Huacalera, province of Jujuy, this latter at an incredible 2,700 meters
above sea level, considered to be the highest altitude vineyards in Argentina.
Although the vines are as old as 38 years (in the case of the Torrontés), this is
only the second bottled vintage of Tukma wines.

Additional wines from Franciscan Oakville Estate:

About Franciscan Oakville Estate:

Franciscan is one of Napa Valley's most venerable wineries, reaching back more than three decades. Franciscan wines take their signature style - rich, vibrant flavors framed by supple tannins - from the ideal climate offered by Napa Valley's cool, southern half and from the time-honored tradition of small-lot winemaking, blending from hundreds of barrels to craft fine wines that fully express the classic Bordeaux varieties.

Franciscan was founded in 1972 by a group of lawyers and doctors from San Francisco who decided to try turning their passion for wine into a business. In 1985, Agustin Huneeus, a Chilean exile who had built Concha y Toro in his native country, took over the helm at Franciscan. Huneeus refocused the winery on using the superlative grapes growing in its own vineyards, rather than sourcing from outside.

Today, Franciscan's wines are crafted under the exacting eye of Janet Myers, who came to Franciscan in August 2003 as associate winemaker after working in the Margaret River region and Beaulieu Vineyard, Stag's Leap Wine Cellars and Louis Martini. The winery remains committed to its tradition of small-lot winemaking, with small batches averaging just 150 to 1,500 cases. The image of a hand-operated wine press on Franciscan's logo and wine labels reflects this small lot approach to winemaking.

About Vina Pargua:

Pargua winemaker Jean Pascal Lacaze believes that
wine is only as good as the grapes from which it is
made. At his Maipo Valley vineyard, Lacaze grows
grapes sustainably and organically, uses the best fruit,
ages the wine in individually selected barrels, and
blends the juice at just the right time.

The label artwork was created by renowned Chilean artist Benjamin Lira,
who took his inspiration from the word Pargua, meaning "full moon" in the
Mapuche language. Like the artwork, which will change with every vintage,
Pargua’s wines are vibrant, expressive, and harmonious.

Winemaker's Notes:

The 2007 Ramal Vineyard Pinot Noir shows a great combination of fruit intensity, structure and ageability. The color is deep purple with aromas of blueberry, plum and blackberry fruit, anise, allspice and mushroom. It has bright raspberry and deeper plum flavors with cinnamon, vanilla and toast notes on the long, silky finish. Pair this rich Pinot Noir with beef tenderloin and sautéed spinach.

Bold enough to pair with a roasted rosemary rack of lamb along with new spring red potatoes.

About Buena Vista Winery:

Founded in 1857 as California's first premium winery, Buena Vista, under the direction of winemaker Jeff Stewart, is a leader in cool-climate Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Merlot and Syrah. Straddling Sonoma County in the southern end of the Carneros appellation, the 523-acre Ramal Vineyard Estate is broken up into 167 small blocks, with 21 different clones of Chardonnay and 13 different clones of Pinot Noir, and is set along rolling south-facing hillsides overlooking the San Pablo Bay. The Ramal Vineyard is the crown jewel of all Carneros.

Most winemakers will agree that cool-climate wines like Pinot Noir are the most difficult to produce. And most will agree that Jeff Stewart does so with unparalleled success. Jeff comes to Buena Vista with over 15 years of achievement in cool-climate viticulture and his focus on gentle handling of the grapes and temperature moderation produces wines with complexity, character and depth.

Winemaker's Notes:

Known for luscious Cabernet Sauvignons, this wine is a classic example of Geyser Peak Winery's intense, lively style. Forward fruit characters of black cherry and blackberry dominate the aromas, with underlying grace notes of dark chocolate and black pepper. In typical Geyser Peak style, the bright fruit is nicely supported by a restrained oak character. The palate is rich, round and lush, seamlessly pairing the cherry and berry fruit with a hint of spice and vanilla. The fine-grained tannins meld into a persistent, lingering finish.

About Geyser Peak:

One of California's oldest and most award-winning wineries, Geyser Peak was founded in 1880, a pioneer of the Alexander Valley in Sonoma County. Perched on a hillside across from Geyser Peak Mountain, this beautiful setting overlooks Geyserville, the Russian River and the northern end of Alexander Valley.

The winery consistently garners some of the most prestigious awards in winemaking, including Winery of the Year and Winemaker of the Year honors. Its outstanding team of winemakers and viticulturalists are noted for fruit-forward, food-friendly wines from prime vineyard sources in the Alexander Valley.

About Claudia Springs:

Claudia Springs Winery was founded in 1989 by Bob and Claudia Klindt in the picturesque Anderson Valley of Mendocino County, California. The Anderson Valley, located 125 miles north of San Francisco, is one of the very best locations for producing fine, cool climate varietals such as Pinot Noir and the white Alsace varietals. The unique combination of warm sunny days and cool foggy nights allows the grapes to mature slowly, developing to their full potential.

Claudia Springs wines are made exclusively from Mendocino County vineyards with special emphasis on Anderson Valley Appellation grapes. They produce incredible estate Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris from vines planted by the Klindt family. They also create award winning single vineyard designated and proprietary blended Zinfandels and a limited production Viognier from premium vineyards in the Redwood Valley and Mendocino Ridge (1200 feet above the Pacific Ocean) appellations.

Their micro-winery's annual production remains small at 2,000-2,500 cases. Claudia Springs prefers this level so they can continue to provide hands-on care of each lot of wine as we nurture it from vineyard to bottle. Every bit of the work, from crushing and pressing to bottling, is done by Bob and Claudia. Their hands-on approach allows them to maintain strict, personal quality control.

Winemaker's Notes:

Les Chevaux, which is French for "the Horses," is a special blend of varietals from the Horse Heaven Hills AVA that personifies the legacy of the wild horses that once roamed this fabled area. Aromas of fresh blueberries, anise and earth lead to firm and supple tannins on the palate. This red wine blend presents incredible depth, with layered flavors of candied nuts, licorice and dark chocolate that lead to a mocha finish featuring ample, sweet tannins.

About Columbia Crest:

Founded in 1983, Columbia Crest has grown from a small winery in a relatively unknown wine region to one of the most significant wineries in the U.S. and a major force behind Washington state's emergence as a world-class wine region. Over the years, the winery has remained committed to delivery handcrafted, small-lot wines, as well as affordable, superior quality everyday wines. In 2009, the winery reached a milestone when Wine Spectator named their 2005 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon "Wine of the Year," the first time a wine from Washington state has received the ranking. This accolade was not only a historic moment for Columbia Crest, but for all wineries in Washington and reinforced the belief that the region is among the best wine-producing areas in the world.